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28 | /insight on manufacturing • July 2014 w w w.in s i g h t o n m f g . c o m "We need about 230,000 new welders nationwide by 2019, so we are enthusiastic about this great project because it brings together partners in education, business and the government to create a successful initiative to train and put productive people into the workforce," says Sam Gentry, executive director of the AWS Foundation. "I think the components are certainly there for this to be looked at as a national model." The Hispanic Training Initiative distinguishes itself from traditional skills training by including up to 60 hours of life skills training led by the HCCW on topics such as communication, teamwork and the work environment. That is followed by 12 to 16 weeks of welder training with an employer mentoring component at one of the four participating technical colleges in the Fox Valley, Green Bay, Wausau and Milwaukee, with the training tailored to meet the specific needs identified by employers in each region. There are currently more than 400 welder job openings in the five counties served by the program. georgia-paciFic promotes manuFacturing choices One good way to reach high school students is to reach out to their teachers. In order to do that and promote manufacturing careers and technical education, Georgia-Pacific hosted the entire staff of Green Bay Southwest High School on a tour of the manufacturer's Broadway mill. This is the first time a school chose manufacturing careers and processes as the topic for its monthly all-staff professional development session. After being bused from the high school to Broadway, the educators split into six groups to explore different areas of manufacturing. In addition to learning what the equipment did and what products it made, staff members also were told of the different careers in those areas and type of education needed. apprentices move into the working worLD GPS Education Partners graduated 13 high school students and youth apprentices from Green Bay and the Fox Cities as part of the largest graduating class of manufacturing apprentices in Wisconsin. Students in GPS programs earn their high school diploma, apprenticeship and MSSC certifications, and received nearly two years of real-world work experience. A total of 87 high school students and youth apprentices completed GPS program pathways this year. "Navigating our bright and PLANT|nEWs cont. Where excellence and opportunity meet. ™ Bachelor of Science in engineering technology Gain hands-on experience and technical knowledge in an environment that fosters critical thinking and problem solving skills and establishes a foundation for lifelong learning as new technologies emerge. Start your degree at any one of the 12 Northeast Wisconsin Educational Resource Alliance (NEW ERA) institutions and colleges, and complete your degree at either UW Oshkosh or UW–Green Bay. Or, start directly at UW Oshkosh or UW–Green Bay. uwosh.edu/engineeringtech